How cultural differences affect communication in English meetings

As English is the international business language, communication issues can often be related to culture not just language.
For example:

•  German directness can be interpreted as rudeness or arrogance.
•  British politeness can be confusing for non-Brits to the point that you have no idea if the feedback is negative or positive. (It took years for my German husband and I to get this clear!  )
•  Silence from your Asian colleagues, might not mean they have nothing to say. Maybe they are waiting to be asked to speak.

Every culture has a different set of social norms and a different way of working. There is no right or wrong way, they are simply different.

Intercultural communication is a HUGE topic but a simple starting point is this free tool from The Culture Factor. You enter the nationalities you want to compare (e.g. Germany and Japan) and it tells you the main cultural differences between the two countries. 

 https://www.theculturefactor.com/country-comparison-tool

If you work internationally, improving your English is only one part of successful communication. Understanding cultural differences can also make meetings, feedback and teamwork much smoother